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Updated: 11:17 PM EDT Apr 11, 2023

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The small Massachusetts town of Hopkinton is readying for its annual moment in the international spotlight. As the home of the starting line for the Boston Marathon and headquarters of the Boston Athletic Association, it's a beehive of active preparations.

Crews were busy on Tuesday assembling equipment and stages for the starting area and athletes' village. The starting line itself is scheduled to be painted on Wednesday morning.

"It all starts here," as the sign on the town common says.

Hopkinton’s "It All Starts Here" sign

"All the prep going on, there's a big buzz in town," Jean Cann, of the Hopkinton Marathon Committee, said.

The town common will be flooded with athletes on Monday, Patriots' Day, as they wait for their chance to start on the 26.2-mile route to Boston's Copley Square.

Map: Get to know the Boston Marathon route

"There are preparations going on year-round but as it gets closer, we see lots of signs," Cann said.

Cann said the preparations for the big day involve schools, police, firefighters, public works officials, parks officials and numerous volunteers.

"They're so excited because this is such a big event not for only Massachusetts, but for the world," Susan Sadeghi, who works in Hopkinton, said.

Video below: Get to know the Hopkinton stretch

The race course through Hopkinton starts with a downhill. It's a 200-foot drop in the first half mile, followed by an uphill climb as you approach mile marker 1 at the Weston Nurseries. Racers will travel about 1.9 miles through the town along Route 135.

Facts about every town along the Boston Marathon course